Professor Hanna-Leena Pesonen, the representative of the Council of Finnish Academies, has been appointed Vice-President of the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) for the term 2026–2028. Pesonen will assume her new role at the beginning of January.
Founded in 2001, EASAC is a network of Europe’s national science academies that provides science-based expert advice to support decision-making in the EU and its member states. EASAC publishes independent, evidence-based analyses on key issues in environment, energy, biosciences and public health, and operates as part of the global collaboration of science academies.
Pesonen serves as Professor of Corporate Environmental Management at the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics. Her research focuses on the business sustainability transition, drawing on expertise in material flow management and society’s responsible transformation – fields where natural sciences, technology and business studies intersect. Pesonen stepped down from her long-standing role as dean in December, which allows her to devote more time to research and to fulfilling her responsibilities within EASAC. “I deeply appreciate EASAC’s work in promoting evidence-informed policymaking and am committed to supporting it in my new role,” Pesonen says.
Pesonen has participated in numerous international research projects and published in leading international journals in her field. She has represented the Council of Finnish Academies in EASAC’s Energy Steering Panel, first as a member from 2018 to 2021 and subsequently as Chair since 2021.
In addition to her academic roles, Pesonen serves as Chair of AACSB’s European Advisory Council, Vice Chair of AACSB’s Initial Accreditation Committee, and a Board Member of the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI). She also has experience in corporate sustainability issues through board positions in major Finnish companies in asset management and insurance.